THE LIVING PRESENCE

Reflection from Act 3:13-15, 17-19a; 1Jn 2:1-5a; Lk 24:35-48

        If Jesus had not resurrected the Christian faith would be empty, useless. But Jesus is resurrected and this is the reason of discipleship and witness of the apostles. The announcement of this great event was done with enthusiasm and joy, proposing a new way of living. When Peter started his speech to the Jewish, he praised God, whom the power, raised his servant Jesus from the dead. Peter remained also that although this people rejected Jesus, they weren’t rejected by Jesus, who expects their conversion, offering to them the possibility of participation in his own life. They did bad choice because their ignorance about the identity of Jesus. But through the mercy of God in Jesus, they also have new opportunity of living. St John witnesses in his letter that through the mediation of Jesus this mercy of God is accessible to all. The obedience to his word and the living of his commandment of love are the conditions to know him and to experience his mercy.

The beginning of today’s gospel is the continuity of the experience lived by the disciples of Emmaus. They were narrating their version of the event to others with enthusiasm and joy when suddenly the own Jesus appeared in their midst, confirming their and offering the peace to all. The experience of sharing of the bread is now extended to the sharing of life and brotherhood. In the first moment, the afraid and excess of doubts prevented them to recognise him. The lack of intimacy with this new way of presence of the Lord caused resistance in their heart, making them to consider him a ghost. Jesus criticised their attitude and showed to them the signs of his victory (the hands and the feet). He acted with patience, respecting their slow process of understanding and opened their mind them with the right interpretation of the Scriptures about himself as sufferer and glorified messiah.  Jesus is not a ghost; he is living presence, who eats with his beloved ones in order to recover their identity of disciples and motivate them to the mission. Now they have strong reasons to resume the path of the discipleship and become true witnesses to announce the necessity of conversion and reconciliation with God and among the people.

Through the experience of these disciples we realise that the joy of the encounter with the Risen Lord must be communicated and it infects the community experience, filling it with meaning. Here, the community experience and the experience of the resurrection are correlate themselves because the Risen Lord is present in the midst of the community. Without the help of the community we have difficulty to recognise the presence of the Risen Lord. The community gives support to a witness ever more authentic and joyful about the encounter with the Lord, enabling full experience of sense to those who should be his witnesses. It is he who enlightens our understanding so that we can understand the Scriptures, finding in them a true sense of his presence among us. He passed by the experience of the cross in solidarity with the crucified of all times. So, no one can claim to follow a Christ without cross. No one can claim to be a true disciple without embracing the cause which the Master embraced. The resurrection of Jesus renewed all hopes and proved that suffering, evil and death are not willed by God, whom is able to turn misfortune into grace, making glittering life where there was only death.

The God of life calls us to live in community and He is present in our midst in order to be the centre of our lives and to make us the instruments of his peace. Like the first disciples, we too are faced with situations that bring concerns and doubts. When we are willing to the experience of personal encounter with the Risen Lord, through the Eucharist and fraternal sharing, we are strengthened in faith and we help the faith of the community. This experience enables us to overcome the obstacles along the way, transforming us into witnesses of the love that generates life. May this Eucharistic celebration motivate us to the experience of meeting with the Risen Lord present in our midst. The more intense is this experience, the more contagious will be our testimony.

Fr Ndega

UWEPO HAI

Kutafakari Kutoka Matendo ya Mitume 3:13-15, 17-19a 1Yohana 2:1-5a; Luka 24:35-48

        Ikiwa Yesu hakuwa amefufuka imani ya Kikristu ingekuwa utupu, haina maana. Lakini Yesu alifufuka na hiyo ni maana ya uanafunzi na ushahidi wa mitume. Tangazo la tukio hili kuu lilifanywa na Mitume kwa shauku na furaha kubwa, wakiazimu njia mpya ya kuishi. Wakati Petro alianzisha hotuba yake kwa Wayahudi, alimsifu Mungu, ambaye kwa nguvu yake, alimfufua mtumishi wake Yesu kutoka kwa wafu. Petro aliwakumbusha pia kwamba ingawa watu hao walimkataa Yesu, hawakukataliwa na Yesu, ambaye alitarajia mabadiliko yao, akiwatolea uwezekano wa ushiriki katika uhai wake wenyewe. Wayahudi walifanya chaguo mbaya kwa sababu ujinga wao kuhusu utambulisho wa Yesu. Lakini, kupitia huruma ya Mungu katika Yesu, wana pia nafasi mpya ya kuishi. Mtakatifu Yohana anathibitisha, katika waraka wake, kwamba kupitia upatanishi wa Yesu huruma hii ya Mungu inafikika kwa wote. Utii kwa Neno la Mungu na kuishi amri yake ya upendo ni vigezo kumjua na kuipitia huruma yake.

Mwanzo wa injili ya siku ya leo ni mwendelezo wa uzoefu uliishi na wanafunzi wa Emau. Walikuwa wakisimulia toleo lao la tukio kwa wengine kwa shauku na furaha wakati ghafla Yesu mwenyewe akaonekana katikati yao, akithibitisha simulizi lao na akiwatolea amani kwa wote. Uzoefu  wa kushiriki pamoja mkate sasa unaenezeka kwa kushiriki kwa maisha na udugu. Katika wakati wa kwanza, hofu na ziada ya shaka iliwazuia kumtambua. Kosa la uhusiano wa ndani kuhusu njia mpya ya uwepo wa Bwana lilisababisha upinzani mioyoni mwao, likiwafanya kumfikiria roho. Yesu alikemea tabia zao na aliwaonyesha ishara za ushindi wake, ni kwamba, mikono na miguu. Alitenda kwa uvumilivu, akiheshimu mwendo polepole wa ufahamu wao na akafungua akili yao kupitia tafsiri haki ya Maandiko Matakatifu kuhusu yeye mwenyewe kama masiya aliyeteseka na aliyetukuzwa. Yesu si pepo; yeye ni uwepo hai, ambaye anakula na wapendwa ili kujipatia utambulisho wao wa wanafunzi na kuwahamasisha kwa kazi. Sasa wana sababu zenye nguvu kwa kuchukua tena njia ya uanafunzi na kuwa mashahidi wa kweli ili kutangaza mahitaji ya kutubu na maridhiano na Mungu na miongoni mwa watu.       

Kupitia uzoefu wa wanafunzi hao tunatambua kwamba furaha ya mkutano na Yesu lazima kutangazwa na unahamasisha uzoefu wa jumuiya, kuijalisha kwa maana. Kwa hali hii uzoefu wa jumuiya na uzoefu wa ufufuko ni uhusiano kwa sababu Bwana Mfufuka yupo katikati ya jumuiya. Bila usaidizi wa jumuiya tuna ugumu kutambua uwepo wa Bwana Mfufuka. Jumuiya hutupa uungaji mkono kwa ushahidi wa kweli na wenye fahari daima kuhusu mkutano na Bwana, kuweza uzoefu uliojaa umaana kwa wale ambao lazima kuwa mashahidi wake. Ni yeye ambaye anawaelimisha ufahamu wetu ili tuweze kuelewa Maandiko Matakatifu, kukuta katika Haya maana ya kweli ya uwepo wake miongoni mwetu. Alikubali uzoefu wa msalaba kwa mshikamano na waliosulibiwa wa wakati wote. Basi, hakuna mtu anaweza kudai kumfuata Kristu bila msalaba. Hakuna mtu anaweza kudai kuwa mwanafunzi wa kweli bila kuchukua ajili ambayo Mwalimu Yesu alichukua. Ufufuko wa Yesu ulifanya upya matumaini yote na ulithibitisha kwamba mateso, maovu na mauti hayatakwi na Mungu, ambaye anaweza kubadilisha bahati mbaya kwa neema, kufanya kuangaza uhai ambapo mauti tu yalipo.

Mungu wa uhai anatuita kuishi katika jumuiya na yeye yupo katikati yetu ili kuwa rejea ya maisha yetu na kutufanya vyombo vya amani yake. Kama wanafunzi wa kwanza, sisi pia tunakabiliwa na hali halisi ambazo zinatuletea wasiwasi na mashaka. Wakati tuko tayari kwa uzoefu wa mkutano binafsi na Bwana Mfufuka, kupitia Ekaristi na kushiriki kwa udugu, tunaimarishwa katika imani na sisi huisaidia imani ya jumuiya. Uzoefu unatuweza kushinda vikwazo njiani, kutubadilisha kwa mashahidi ya upendo ambao huyazaa maisha. Adhimisho la Ekaristi hili lituhamasishe kwa uzoefu wa mkutano na Bwana Mfufuka yupo miongoni mwetu. Ikiwa Uzoefu una nguvu, ushahidi utakuwa ufanisi.  

Fr Ndega

Mapitio: Rose Mong'are

JOY OF THE LIFE WHICH CONQUERS DEATH

We are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, the reason of our faith and sense of our life. Through him the life recover its full meaning. His light enlightens the darkness of our life and opens the horizon of the life without end. With the feast of the resurrection we are invited to true joy, joy of life that conquers death, joy of love that conquers sorrow. Jesus is living presence among human beings, revitalizing their hopes. It is good opportunity to renew the commitment of the disciples and overcome the fear of being courageous witnesses.

The readings of the Old Testament show to us the amazing and tender way through which God has conducted the history: creation, covenant, liberation, new life. God has always wanted full happiness for each one of his creatures. This happiness comes from the inner life of the trinity, communion of love. The experience to be baptised is the experience of resurrection, because through the baptism we are invited to a new birth. This birth means to die with Jesus, burying our old condition of sinners and arise again with him as new person totally renewed.   

According to the gospel of Mark, the women had the privilege to be the first witnesses of the resurrection of the Lord. They woke up very early in the morning, because they were motivated for an intense love for Jesus which led them to search for him. For while the experience of resurrection for them was the empty sepulchre and the announcement the angels, but they is enough in order to reorient the finality of their searching. Jesus wasn’t there; he rose from the dead; He is living. This good news of great joy is necessary to be communicated. After the apparent defeat that was his death, Jesus allowed that the vision of the signs of his victory was accessible firstly to the ones who were victims of discrimination in the society and felt themselves excluded. In fact through this choice Jesus was confirming his proposal of a new time, new mentality and new relationships. In order to perform this important task of announcement of the resurrection, that women had to overcome the fear and the mentality of inferiority. They were sure that the one who chose them was going with them.

   Like the women we are invited also to do the experience of the Risen Lord. This experience today requires faith more than evidences. His Word and the testimony of those who spend their lives to serve the community help us to overcome the fear which sometimes arises in our journey. The fear prevents us to live our faith truly and be true witnesses. With the support of each other and the action of God manifested alive among us, we can certainly overcome all our fears and accept with joy and enthusiasm the important task of announcing the good news of the resurrection of Jesus.

He is present in our midst in order to be the centre of our lives and makes us instruments of his peace. Through the experience of the women, we too are invited to do also the experience of searching for the Risen Lord. We are sure that today this meeting happens through the Eucharist, the fraternity and through many others signs in our society. Like this we are strengthened in faith and we help the faith of the community. This experience enables us to overcome the obstacles along the way, transforming us into witnesses of the love that generates life. The risen Christ lives among us! We need to re-educate our sensitivity to recognize him in various situations that involves our life. The more intense is the experience, the more contagious will be the testimony.

Fr. Ndega

FURAHA YA MAISHA AMBAYO YANASHINDA MAUTI

Tunaadhimisha kufufuka kwake Yesu, maana ya imani na maisha yetu. Kupitia yeye maisha yanajipatia maana kabisa. Mwanga yake inawaelimisha giza ya maisha yetu na inafungua upeo wa macho ya maisha  bila mwisho. Na sikukuu ya ufufuko tunaalikwa kwa furaha ya kweli, ni kwamba furaha ya maisha ambayo yanashinda mauti, furaha ya upendo ambao unashinda huzuni. Yesu ni uwepo hai mwongoni mwa wabinadamu, kufufua matumaini yao. Ni nafasi nzuri kufanya upya ahadi yetu ya wanafunzi na kushinda hofu ya kuwa mashahidi washujaa.

Masomo ya Agano la Kale yanatuonyesha njia ya kushangaza na tefu, ambayo Mungu alitumia kwa kuongoza historia: Uumbaji, Agano, Ukombozi, Maisha mapya. Mungu ametaka daima furaha kubwa kwa kila moja wa viumbe vyake. Furaha hii inatokana na uhai ndani ya Utatu, ushirika wa upendo. Uzoefu kubatizwa ni uzoefu wa ufufuko, kwa sababu kupitia ubatizo tunaalikwa kwa kuzaliwa upya. Kuzaliwa huko kunamaanisha kufa na Yesu, kuzika hali zee ya wenye dhambi na kufufuka tena na Yesu kama watu ambao wamefanywa upya kabisa.  

Kulingana na Injili ya Marko, wanawake walikuwa na upendeleo kuwa mashahidi wa kwanza wa ufufuko wa Bwana. Waliamuka asubuhi sana, kwa sababu walihamasishwa kwa upendo ndani ya Yesu ambao unawaongoza kumtafuta. Wakati uzoefu wa ufufuko kwao kaburi tupu na tangazo la malaika, lakini ishara mbili zilitosha ili kuongoza tena lengo la uchunguzi wao. Yesu hakuwa yupo pale; alifufuka kutoka kwa wafu; anaishi. Habari njema hii ya furaha kubwa inahitaji lazima kutangazwa. Baada ya dhahiri ushinde, ambao ulikuwa kifo chake, aliruhusu uwezo wa kuona kwa ishara za ushindi wake ulikuwa wa kupatikana kwanza kwa wale ambao walikuwa waathirika wa ubaguzi katika jamii na walihisi watengwa. Kwa kweli kupitia chaguo hilo Yesu alikuwa akithibitisha pendekezo lake la muda mpya, mawazo mapya na uhusiano mpya. Ili kufanya kazi muhimu ya tangazo ya ufufuko, wanawake walikuwa na kuondokana na hofu na mawazo ya kuwa chini. Walikuwa hakika kwamba Mtu ambaye aliwachagua alikuwa akienda nao.  

   Kama wanawake na wanafunzi wa kwanza wengine, tunaalikwa kufanya uzoefu wa Bwana Mfufuka. Uzoefu huu siku hizi unahitaji imani zaidi kuliko ishara. Neno lake na ushahidi wa wale ambao hutumia maisha yao kutumikia jumuiya unatusaidia kushinda hofu ambayo anafufua wakati mwingine katika safari yetu. Hofu hutuzuia kuishi, imani yetu ya kweli na kuwa mashahidi wa kweli. Na uungaji mkono wa wengine na hatua ya Mungu wa uhai miongoni mwetu, tunaweza kushinda hofu yetu yote na kukubali kwa furaha na shauku kazi muhimu ya kutangaza habari njema ya ufufuko wa Yesu.     

Yeye yupo Yeye yupo miongoni mwetu ili kuwa ndani ya maisha yetu na kutufanya vyombo vya amani yake. Kupitia uzoefu wa wanawake, sisi pia tunaalikwa kufanya uzoefu wa kumtafuta Bwana Mfufuka. Tuna hakika kwamba siku hizi mkutano huu unatokea kupitia Ekaristi, udugu na ishara zingine nying katika familiia zetu. Kama hii tunaimarishwa katika imani yetu na tunaisaidia imani ya jumuiya. Uzoefu huu unatuwezesha kushinda vikwazo njiani, kutubadilisha kwa mashahidi ya upendo ambao unaizalisha maisha. Bwana Mfufuka anaishi miongoni mwetu! Tunahitaji kuelimisha tena hisia zetu ili kumtambua in hali halisi nyingi ambazo zinaishirikisha maisha yetu. Yeye atupe ujasiri ili kuwa mashahidi wake wa kweli.

 Fr. Ndega

Mapitio: Sara

THE SUFFERING OF CHRIST AND THE SUFFERED HUMANITY

Whole church remembers today and tomorrow the suffering and death of Christ, his spouse and saviour of the world. Celebrating his suffering and death is to celebrate his great love for all mankind up to the last consequences. Jesus is the greatest gift of God and expression of his love for whole world: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son... For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (Jo 3, 16-17).” The Son of God brought the salvation into the world dying on the cross and overcoming the death through his glorious resurrection. For that through the holy cross we remember not only the suffering and death of Christ, but also his victory and our salvation.

The First reading presents the dramatic history of the servant of the Lord who is faithful to the mission entrusted to him, assuming the sins of all people. This servant brought liberation, carrying the sorrows of all, letting himself to be wounded for their transgressions and iniquities. Although he was oppressed and afflicted, was able to surrender his life into the hands of God, guaranteeing forgiveness for all sinners. The success of his mission didn’t come from human appreciation, but from the strength of God present in him. The Christian community interprets the mission of this servant as prophecy of the life of Christ who chose to be a servant, accepting the humiliation and suffering in order to do God’s will. Like this he performs his priesthood as unique mediator between God and the humanity.

The narrative of the passion according to John helps us to go deep about the meaning of the suffering and death of Jesus. We contemplate at the crucifixion the supreme gesture of love of the Son of God, whom surrenders his life for the life of the sinner humankind. His passion is the beginning of his victory over death, making to revive the hopes of the peoples. For him, there is no greatest love than to give the life for the good of the friends. His attitude helps us to reflect on the hard reality of the human suffering and to believe that God doesn’t abandon the ones who are suffering. Jesus didn’t want to suffer, but accepted it because his identification with the suffer humanity. The suffering of Christ teaches us how to welcome the suffering with serenity and to be active presence in the life of the people who are suffering.

The suffering and death of Christ cannot be understood as wanted by God, but they were result of his prophetic commitment with the liberation of the people, revealing the love and mercy of God. Instead to say “Jesus died because our sins”, we must state, “Jesus died because his fidelity to God’s plan up to the end”. Jesus didn’t die like a hopeless and his sorrows didn’t mean abandonment. The evidence about this is the confident surrender of himself into the hands of his Father: “Oh, Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit (Lk 23,46).” His supreme gesture of love was accepted by God, whom answered with the glorious resurrection, giving full meaning to human existence. In his death are included all deaths and in his resurrection survive all hopes. In this sense S. Paul states: “since the death and resurrection of Jesus are correlates, being included in the death of Christ means to participate also in his life” (2 Cor 4, 10)”.

Together with the passion of the Son, we contemplate also the compassion of the Mother, who knows how to love and how to suffer for the beloved one. Mary assumes in her heart all sorrows of his son. Like this it is fulfilled the prophecy of Simeon in the Temple: “A sword will pierce your own soul”. As First and Faithful disciple of his Son, Mary assumed her mission up to the last consequences, remaining stand up before the cross. Together with her, other three women and the disciple who Jesus loved remain also. Only the love can explain the strength and perseverance of the women in this particular moment of the life of the Master. Really, they learnt the lesson of the generous discipleship in the total gratuity. They renounced to themselves, carried their cross and made themselves sympathetic in the following of the footsteps of the Master. May the testimony of these women inspire us total fidelity in the following of Jesus, who loved us up to the end.

Fr. Ndega

EUCHARIST AND FRATERNAL SERVICE

Christian liturgy is rooted in Jewish worship, which has at its centre Jahveh, the God who decided to make history with his people, establishing a covenant of love with them. This event was anticipated with a powerfull action, setting the ancients jews free from the slavery of Egypt. This people received from God the guidance to celebrate the especial moment of their freedom by eating a one-year-old lamb. Afterwords they received the Comandaments on Sinai desert, signal the Covenant stablished by God with them. They became People of God. From that moment onwards the Jewish people has celebrated their freedom every year by eating exactly what their forefathers had eaten on that famous night of the liberation. This is called the Passover meal.

Using the same Ceremonial, Jesus established a new one – the Eucharistic Meal, announcing to his disciples the full liberation that was coming and that he longed ardently to share with his friends. In this supper in an atmosphere of familiarity and great expectancy, Jesus gave himself as food, anticipating in ritual way what was about to happen with him on the cross. Through symbolic gestures, he expressed the meaning of his free surrender, that it should also be part on the lives of his followers. Therefore, he washed the feet of his disciples, giving testimony of humility and self-emptiness (kenosis), uniting forever the celebration of his Body and Blood with the fraternal service. Those who will continue in the world the work of the Master must assume the same attitude of service with new mentality and new relationships.

Jesus is the Master server, who loves until the last consequences. Knowing that love requires presence, he perpetuates his presence in the world through the Eucharist. The Eucharist is an expression of free surrender of Christ and gesture of love that becomes service. In this context it makes sense the ministerial of priesthood, sign of Christ Shepherd who continues guiding his Flock. Through the common priesthood of the faithful, we become one body with Christ and thus responsible for its up building in love. The Eucharist only makes sense if it is an expression of brotherly love and only those who love are able to serve. Only those who love truly are able to go up to the last consequences. Only the love produces communion and “only the things made ​​with love have them consistence (stability)”.

This is the mystery of our faith: a deep and rich truth in which we can penetrate with love and humility and come to know God as he truly is. This reality is the Pascal Mystery, which comprises the passion, death and resurrection of the Son of God. Jesus instituted the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, giving his own body and blood to eat and drink during this Last Supper. On Good Friday again he gave us his body and blood, but this time by dying on the cross – a true sacrifice in two different ways. These two days, Holy Thursday and Good Friday are closely interconnected. On Easter Sunday his victory over death is completed and the new life became accessible for all.

So, Eucharist is celebration of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. His presence is alive, dynamic, effective, capable of producing results. Jesus in the Eucharist works, bringing change to our lives. Like this, celebrating the Eucharist we are really transformed into what we celebrate, accepting the reality of the Paschal Mystery as “Passover of Christ in Easter of us, Easter of us in the Passover of Christ”. So, after each Eucharistic celebration we have the challenge to return to daily activities as witnesses of Christ who gave his life for love for all people to have a full life.

Oh Jesus, we thank you for the richness of the sacrament of Eucharist. Thanks for the experience of fraternity which we live in each Holy mass we celebrate. We believe that your presence is real and effective in our midst and we want to renew the commitment to maintain a healthy and strong friendship with you and to serve others with generosity. May your example of humility and emptiness make us to descover the greatness of the fraternal service. Amem.

Fr. Ndega